Brake-beam.



s. A. CRONE.

BRAKE BEAM. APPLICATION FILED NOV- 3. I916.

1,272,778. Patented July 16, 1918.

INVENTOR ATTOR NEY SETH A. CRONE, OF EAST ORANGE, NEW JERSEY.

BRAKE-BEAM.

Specification of Letters Patent.

Patented July16, 1918.

Application filed November 3, 1916. Serial No. 129,282.

To all whom it may concern:

Be it known that I, SETH A. CRONE, a citizen of the United States, and a resident of East Orange, in the county of Essex and State of New Jersey, have invented certain new and useful Improvements in Brake- Beams, of which the following is a specification.

The invention pertains more particularly to trussed beams and especially to a novel strut having integrally therewith means for connecting the same with the compressed member of the beam. It is of the highest importance that the strut be securely connected with the compression member in a manner which will not weaken said member. There has been difiiculty in properly securing one piece forged metal struts to the compression member of brake beams, and usually the strut at one end has extended around the compression member and been secured thereto by riveting, as shown in Letters Patent granted to me June 8, 1915 No. 1,142,498. In other instances the strut has been secured against the compression member by bolts and clamps and in other instances by bolts and keys. My present invention has for its object to secure the strut to a compression member by means integral with the strut and which engage the compression member with binding effect, the use ofrivets, clamps, bolts and the like being obviated. My invention is applicable to compression members of the various shapes commlpnly used, such as channels, angles and the li e.

I present my invention herein as embodied in a brake beam of the character disclosed in my aforesaid Letters Patent dated June 8, 1915, without however limiting my invention to the details of the said beam.

The invention will be fully understood from the detailed description hereinafter presented, reference being had to the accompanying drawings, in which:

Figure l is a top view, partly broken away, of a brake beam constructed in accordance with and embodying my invention;

Fig. 2 is a vertical section through the I same taken along the edge of the strut and therefore showing the strut in horizontal side elevation;

Fig. 3 is a side elevation of a portion of a brake beam embodying my invention, the

be convenient and secure and .sides 17 are at their outer ends compression member in this instance being of angle shape as distinguished from. the channel shape represented in Figs. 1 and 2;

Fig. 4 is a side elevation of a portion of the strut applied to a channel compression member, w ich is shown in section, and Fig. 4: illustrates a modification of the construction shown in Figs. 1 and 2 in that the securing lips are shown as out from the middle portions of the metal constituting the strut instead of from the edge portions thereof; and

Fig. 5 is a corresponding view illustrating the use of keys for insuring the binding action of the strut against the compression member.

In the drawings, referring to Figs. 1 and 2, 1O designates the compression member, 11 the truss-rod or tension member, and 12 the strut, this strut being formed from a single piece of forged metal folded at its center and extending transversely around and engaging the compression member 10 and carrying at the outer or free ends of its sides a metal socket 13 adapted to such ends and to receive the middle portion of the truss rod 11. The compression member 10 may vary in cross-section, but I prefer to use a channel beam for the member 10, as illustrated in Figs. 1 and 2.

y invention may, however, be utilized with great advantage where the compression member is of angle shape, as is illustrated in Fig. 3, wherein 14: denotes the compression member and 15 the strut.

The strut 12 is formed from a single bar of forged metal folded at its middle portion to form a box-loop 16 adapted to transversely encompass the compression member 10, whence the body portions of the folded bar are correspondingly deflected to form the parallel angular sides 17 adapted to re ceive between them in the usual manner the customary brake lever, not shown. The connected, in the present instance, by a socket member 13 having at its outer end a groove to transversely receive the middle portion of the truss rod 11, and said sides reasonably adjacent to the compression member have between them a filler 18 through which and said sides extends a securing rivet 19. The sides l7'are, at a suitable point, transversely apertured, as at 20, to receive the brake lever pin, not shown.

.In accordance with my invention 1 cut 7 bending inwardly of be seen that the lips. exert a binding force from the metal of the sides 17 lips 21 and bend these lips inwardly against the adjacent edges of the compression member with binding effect, and preferably I cut the lips 21 from diagonally opposite edges ofthe sides 17 where said sides are deflected to give the brake lever its proper angle. The deflection of the sides 17 results in said sides adjacent to the beam 10 having an angular relation to said beam and in diagonally opposite edges of said sides being brou-gl it inwardly of the horizontal planes of the upper and lower surfaces of said beam, and it is atthese two diagonally opposite points at which I preferably cut the tongues orlips- 21. I prefer to cut the lips 21 from the edges of the sides of the strut, not only because of the convenience of doing. so, but because when said lips are cut from the diagonally opposite edges of the side of the strut where said edges approach inwardly toward the horizontal center of the compression member, said lips may be used with the maximum efl'ect in binding the strut and compression member together. Figs. 1 and :2 illustrate the manner of forming and the the lips 21, and it will against the edges. of the flanges of the compression member and serve to bind the strut and compression member togeher, all riveting or other securing of the strut and compression member together by means not integral with the strut being obviated. In accordance with my invention 1 secure the strut to the compression member by means which. are integral with the strut and dispense with rivets ments.

' The brake beam partly illustrated in Fig. 3 corresponds exactly with the brake beam shown in Figs. that it presents an angle-beam compression member 1a and a box loop of angle shape at the outer end of the strut, as'at 22'. instead. of the box loop 16,'shown in Figs. 1 and 2.. Fig. 3 being a modification I numl'ier the scuring lips. 23. The lips 23' are, however, identical with the lips 21, shown in Figs. 1 and 2 and employed for a purpose. The invention is highly useful in connection with an angle compression menu her, since it affords very simple an l adequate means for securing the strut to the compression member without the use of applied clamping devices and the like.

Fig. i illustrates a modification of the invention in that the securing lips, numbered 24:, are cut from the middle portions of the sides 25 of the strut 26 and bent inwardly and other applied attachagainst the edges of the flanges of the com- Fi s. from the edges of tie pressi'on member 27' instead of, as. in 1 and 2, being cut sides of the strut. Fig. 4i are employed for exactly'the same 1 and 2, with the exception.

corresponding The lip's shown in In Fig. 5 I illustrate the same construction presented in Fig. 4, with the addition of keys or wedges '28 which may be used, should occasion ever require, for tightening the binding action of the strut and compression member against each other. The purpose is that the lips 24: shall directly engage the edges of the compression member with sufficient force to effectually bind the strut in position, but in any event in which there should be any irregularity in construction or in the dimensions. of the compression member whereby clearance might be created between; the strut and said member, said; clearance or play may be taken up by driring wedges or lreys 28- a-longthe edges of the compression member'and between said edges and the inturned lips 24. The wedges or keys 28 will only be used when necessary to insure the rigid binding of thestru-t and compression member together. i I

What I claim as my invention and desire to secure by Letters Patent, is:

1. A brake-beam comprising a compression member having corresponding flanges, a tension me her and a strut intermediate said members for the brake-lever, said strut being a forged metal folded bar encompassing said compression member and at the edges of said. flanges being deflected angularly to form parallel sides for the brakelever, and saidbar adjacent to said com pression member having a lip cut therefrom to initially project in a direction toward the tension member and being bent inwardly from said bar to. present its inner flat. face toward said compression member, for securing the strutand compression member together. I

2. A brake-beam comprising a compression member having corresponding flanges, a tension member and a strut intermediate said members for th'e brake lever, said strut, being a forged metal folded bar encompassing. said compression member and at the. edges of said flanges being deflected. angul'arly to form parallel sides for: the brakelever, and said" bar at said angular portions. having lips cut therefrom to initially project inn direction toward the tension mem ber and being bent inwardly toward each other and presenting their inner fl at faces toward the flanges of said compression memher, for securing the strut and compression member together., 7

3. A brake beam comprising a compres sion member, a tension member and a strut intermediate said members for the brake lever, said strut being a forged metal folded bar encompassing said compression member, whence the members of the bar are deflected to form angularly disposed parallel sides, and having lips out from the edges thereof and bent inwardly for securing the strut and compression member.

at. A brake beam comprising a compres: sion member, a tension member and a strut intermediate said members for the brake lever, said strut being a forged metal folded bar encompassing said compression member, whence the members of the bar are deflected to form angularly disposed parallel sides, and having lips cut from diagonally opposite edges thereof and bent inwardly for securing the strut and compression memher, said lips being cut from those diagonally opposite edges Where the side members of the strut are curved inwardly to- Ward the compression member in the formation of the angular sides of the strut.

5. A brake beam comprising a compression member, a tension member and a strut intermediate said members for the brake lever, said strut being a forged metal folded bar encompassing said compression member, whence the members of the bar are deflected to form angularly disposed parallel sides, and having a lip cut from the edge thereof and bent inwardly for securing the strut and compression member.

Signed at N cW York city, in the county of New York and State of New York, this 1st day of November A. D. 1916.

- SETH A. CRONE.

lVitnesses:

ARTHUR MARION, CHAS. C. GILL.

Copies of this patent may be obtained for five cenfiz each, by addressing the Commissioner of Patents, Washington, D. G. 

